Geraniums for Your Needs
As we hop out of early spring—where tulips, daffodils, spring phlox, fleabane, and Virginia bluebells have had their moment to shine—we might find ourselves in a bit of a planting pause. Gardeners of yore called this the “spring gap,” a brief and peaceful egg-stra intermission between the cool-season bloomers and the peep-ing onset of summer color. But don’t let your clients’ gardens put all their eggs in one seasonal basket! If they're hunting for a pop of color during this lull, may we crack open a suggestion: the hardy geranium—truly the unsung workhorse of the shade garden!
Hardy Geraniums - workhorses for that bloom gap!
As we move from early spring, punctuated with tulips, daffodils, spring phlox, fleabane, and Virginia bluebells, to early summer, there may be a lull in the planting design. This time of year, known in old gardening texts as the “spring gap”, is the restful moment between flower waves, the ending of cool season flowers, and the oncoming tide of warm season blooms. If your clients are looking for more color in the garden during this period, may we introduce you to the workhorses of the shade garden, the hardy geranium!
When most folks think of geraniums, they tend to imagine the window box zonal pelargoniums, native to the hot climates of southern Africa. Hardy geraniums come from temperate regions worldwide and are popular for their easygoing nature and long bloom time. They add soft white, pink, or blue to the garden when everything else is taking a respite. Most grow below 2’ tall and gently spread by rhizome across the ground, creating a lush ground cover. The palmately lobed hardy geranium leaves contrast nicely with other standard shade garden perennials such as hosta, sedges, iris, phlox, and ferns. As the frost arrives in fall, the foliage is touched with deep reds and oranges, adding to the multiple seasons of appeal. The most commonly found hardy geraniums at the garden center originate from the high altitudes in the Balkans from southern Europe into Turkey. In cool climates, these hardy geraniums tolerate full sun and sharply draining soil. In areas with hot and humid summers, they prefer dappled shade but take periods of drought once established. Our native Geranium maculatum comes from eastern North American woodlands, thriving in rich soils under tall canopies and building loose colonies over time.
While hardy geraniums may look soft, they are tough and adaptable plants. They are gentle spreaders in the landscape, easy to control, and require no more than a seasonal shear to tidy up spent foliage. We love how they are a great plant solution to familiar landscape woes. We heartily recommend hardy geraniums for these oft-lamented design dilemmas:
The problem: You need an all-season-long, front-of-bed plant that works in a lot of different garden locations
Geranium solution! Try Geranium ‘Azure Rush’ or ‘Rozanne’
The problem: There is a dry, shady, tight area at the base of buildings between the wall and the sidewalk
Geranium solution! Try Geranium ‘Biokovo’ or ‘Karmina’
The problem: A native plant garden is petering out after early spring blooms but before fall flowers
Geranium solution! Try Geranium maculatum and ‘Espresso’
The problem: You need a tough groundcover that works as a transition plant between different light conditions in a landscape
Geranium solution! Try Geranium macrorrhizum ‘Bevan’s Variety’ or ‘Ingwersen’s Variety’
A cranesbill for every space
Whether you’re looking for a great filler in the landscape or are hoping to attract and support specialist bees with our native geranium, there is a cranesbill to fit the brief. We’ve seen ‘Rozanne’ geranium used as an underplanting to a bed of roses, ‘Karmina’ geranium in a shady parking lot island, and ‘Espresso’ geranium bring depth and contrast to a woodland garden. Whatever your situation, we know there is a hardy geranium that could work for you. Give us a call at 610.255.0100 or email us at orders@northcreeknurseries.com, and we’ll help match a hardy geranium to your needs.
